2026 Texas wildfires

2026 Texas wildfires
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The 2026 Texas wildfires were a series of wildfires that burned in the U.S. state of Texas.

Background

Dormant fire season

From Mid-February to Mid-April, vegetation is often dead or dormant. Combined with dry winds, low humidity, and La Niña-related conditions, fuels can ignite more easily—and once started, fires spread rapidly due to these atmospheric patterns. This timeframe sees elevated wildfire activity in the absence of vegetation green-up.[1][2] Brad Smith of Texas A&M Forest Service notes this aligns with La Niña cycles, which intensify dryness and wind in winter into spring.[3]

Growing-season peak

From March to May, as vegetation greens up and then dries, especially after a wet winter, the combination of abundant grass fuel, warmer, drier weather, and occasional lightning can ignite severe wildfires. These months contribute to a significant proportion of the state's largest fires.[4][5]

Year-round risk

Over time, Texas has seen a trend toward year-round wildfire risk, driven by changing land use, climate trends, and increased human activity. According to Fire Chief Wes Moorehead, what used to be two distinct seasons have blurred, as fire conditions now show up in all months.[6] This is further compounded by climate change, which has extended "fire weather"—days combining heat, dryness, and wind—raising wildfire potential across the state.[7]

List of wildfires

The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), produced significant structural damage, or resulted in casualties.

Name County Acres Start date Containment date[a] Notes Ref.
8 Ball Armstrong, Donley 13,564 February 17 February 21 Caused evacuations for the community of Howardwick. [9]
Lavender Oldham, Potter 18,423 February 17 February 22 [10]
Cypress Creek Wilderness Angelina, Jasper 6,745 February 24 March 9 [11]
Nebo Mountain Gillespie 1,160 February 24 February 25 [12]
Dolly Swisher 1,533 March 3 March 3 [13]
Cabin Creek Gray 7,000 March 9 March 11 Burned east of Lefors. [14]
Yellow Oldham, Moore, Hartley 14,374 March 10 March 13 Burned east of Channing. Closed State Highway 354. Prompted the evacuation of Valle de Oro. [15]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Containment means that fire crews have established and secured control lines around the fire's perimeter. These lines are artificial barriers, like trenches or cleared vegetation, designed to stop the fire's spread, or natural barriers like rivers. Containment reflects progress in managing the fire but does not necessarily mean the fire is starved of fuel, under control, or put out.[8]

References

  1. ^ "La Niña and Texas' Winter Fire Season". Texas A&M AgriLife Today. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  2. ^ "Wildfires — growing and dormant season in Texas". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  3. ^ "La Niña and Texas' Winter Fire Season". Texas A&M AgriLife Today. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  4. ^ "Red flag warning: Here's when Texas wildfire season gets going". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  5. ^ "Texas Panhandle fire grows to 1 million acres..." Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  6. ^ "Texas wildfires are now a year-round threat. What changed?". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  7. ^ ""Fire weather" is happening more often". Axios Austin. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  8. ^ "What containment and other wildfire related terms mean". Los Angeles: KCAL-TV. September 12, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  9. ^ "8 Ball Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
  10. ^ "Lavender Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
  11. ^ "Cypress Creek Wilderness Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  12. ^ "Nebo Mountain Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  13. ^ "Dolly Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  14. ^ "Cabin Creek Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  15. ^ "Yellow Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
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